A report examined whole-family approaches to preventing and tackling youth homelessness. A key to the prevention of homelessness was earlier and easier access to services for young people and families.
Source: Jo Gunner, Emily Petheram, Louise Seaman, Victoria Rugg and Lori Streich, Breaking it Down: Developing whole-family approaches to youth homelessness, Young Men's Christian Association (0845 873 6633)
Links: Report | YMCA press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Dec
There were 72,130 households in England at the end of September 2008 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (down 13 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England 3rd Quarter 2008, Department for Communities and Local Government (020 7944 3000)
Links: Report | DCLG press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Dec
The opposition Conservative Party published a 'blueprint' for tackling homelessness. It called for a multi-department approach.
Source: Conservative Blueprint to Tackle Homelessness, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Report | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report evaluated the Homelessness Prevention Innovation Fund, which supported projects with the aim of stimulating innovation in homelessness prevention in Scotland. An exclusive focus on homelessness might not yield the most efficient results: a holistic or systemic approach was needed.
Source: Cathy Sharp and Lucy Robertson, Evaluation of Homelessness Prevention Innovation Fund Projects, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Date: 2008-Nov
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on a 10-year plan to help homeless people in Wales. The aim of the plan was to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place, and to offer easier access to housing advice.
Source: Ten Year Homelessness Plan: Consultation draft, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document | BBC report
Date: 2008-Nov
The government announced a £200 million plan designed to end rough sleeping by 2012. Plans included strengthening 'assertive outreach' services, setting up schemes to help rough sleepers into employment, and piloting the use of individual budgets for rough sleepers.
Source: No One Left Out: Communities ending rough sleeping, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Plan | Summary | Consultation responses | Hansard | DCLG press release | Shelter press release | St Mungos press release | Homeless Link press release | Inside Housing report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Nov
A new book examined the roots of homelessness, based on extensive research on the streets and in hostels and day-centres for homeless people. It considered the biographical, structural, and behavioural factors that led to homelessness.
Source: Megan Ravenhill, The Culture of Homelessness, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Oct
An article said that a number of social policy difficulties and contradictions needed to be resolved if single homeless people were to be resettled effectively. In particular, there were competing pressures on social housing providers, who were expected to meet the needs of socially excluded individuals while also creating sustainable communities and operating in a cost-efficient manner. The government needed to clarify that meeting housing need was a priority for social landlords, and provide adequate funding for long-term support, if single homeless people were to find appropriate permanent accommodation.
Source: Jamie Harding and Andrea Willett, 'Barriers and contradictions in the resettlement of single homeless people', Social Policy and Society, Volume 7 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Oct
There were 74,690 households in England at the end of June 2008 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (down 12 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England Second Quarter 2008, Department for Communities and Local Government (020 7944 3000)
Links: Report | DCLG press release | Shelter press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Sep
A report published by the opposition Conservative Party said that there had been a 36 per cent rise between 2003 and 2007 in the number of homeless people being discharged from hospital with no accommodation to go to. There had also been a 37 per cent increase in the number of homeless patients being discharged with no relative or carer recorded.
Source: Grant Shapps MP, Discharged to No Fixed Abode: A study into the number of hospital patients released onto the nation's streets, Homelessness Foundation/Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Report | St Mungos press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Sep
Campaigners said that the National Health Service should provide dedicated provision for homeless people. As many as one-third of homeless people with serious conditions such as alcohol dependency, drugs problems, or mental illness were receiving no medical care at all.
Source: Homelessness: It Makes You Sick, St. Mungo's (020 8600 3003)
Links: Report | St Mungo's press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Sep
A paper examined the impact of the contract culture from the perspective of the voluntary/community sector, through the experiences of eight charities working in the field of 'homelessness'; and in particular the responses of their chief executives to the changing political and economic environment. Although contracting had undoubtedly blurred the boundaries between sectors, and played a part in the professionalization and formalization of charities, there was little evidence for the more negative processes of 'devoluntarization' or loss of independence.
Source: David Chater, Coming in from the Cold? The impact of the contract culture on voluntary sector homelessness agencies in England, Voluntary Sector Working Paper 10, Centre for Civil Society/London School of Economics (020 7955 7205)
Links: Paper
Date: 2008-Sep
The government announced a scheme under which charities for homeless people would find at least 10 per cent of their workforce from formerly homeless people. The scheme was designed to help around 800 people in England to find work in the voluntary sector over a 2-year period.
Source: Press release 11 September 2008, Department for Communities and Local Government (020 7944 3000)
Links: DCLG press release | St Mungos press release
Date: 2008-Sep
A new book examined the experiences of a group of people making a transition out of homelessness for a year in their lives.
Source: Carol McNaughton, Transitions Through Homelessness: Lives on the edge, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Aug
A report drew on interviews with homeless people in order to examine the indicators in early life which could lead to future problems of social exclusion.
Source: Adrian Bonner and Claire Luscombe, The Seeds of Exclusion, Salvation Army (020 7367 4700)
Links: Report | Salvation Army press release | Ekklesia report
Date: 2008-Jul
A report said that charitable donors needed to tackle the causes of homelessness, in particular unemployment, rather than the symptoms. Although public and private funding had prioritized housing in the past, donors could play an important role in redirecting attention towards the root causes of the problem, which also included lack of social skills, low confidence, and poor mental health.
Source: Simon Blake, Adrian Fradd and Eleanor Stringer, Homelessness: Lost property – A guide for donors and funders, New Philanthropy Capital (0207 401 8080)
Links: Summary | NPC press release
Date: 2008-Jun
A report made policy recommendations for supporting homeless people into employment. It looked at issues affecting employment support, including health, housing, education, skills, and benefits. It also covered issues affecting service delivery, including flexibility and the co-ordination of services.
Source: Michael Fothergill, The Right Deal for Homeless People: Working towards suitable, sustainable and progressive employment, Off the Streets and into Work (020 7089 2722)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Jun
A review of youth homelessness found that the number of young people accepted as homeless had fallen in England and Wales in the previous three years, but had remained unchanged in Scotland and Northern Ireland. At least 75,000 young people were in contact with homelessness services every year. Young women were more likely to be statutorily homeless than young men. The main trigger for youth homelessness was relationship breakdown (usually with a parent or step-parent): for many, this was a consequence of long-term conflict within the home, and often involved violence.
Source: Deborah Quilgars, Sarah Johnsen and Nicholas Pleace, Youth Homelessness in the UK: A decade of progress?, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | CHP press release
Date: 2008-May
The government published a draft action plan designed to target homelessness among people who moved frequently between hostels and the streets. It said that although there had been progress over the previous decade, more needed to be done to reduce the numbers of persistent rough sleepers to 'as close to zero as possible' within three years.
Source: Rough Sleeping 10 Years On: From the streets to independent living and opportunity, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Action plan | DCLG press release | Homeless Link press release | St Mungos press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Community Care report | Personnel Today report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Apr
A report investigated the reasons for tenancy breakdown among homeless people, through interviews with tenants and landlords. It said that many people on low incomes renting privately were being forced to live in slum-like conditions, and struggled to find a decent, affordable place to live.
Source: Julie Rugg, A Route to Homelessness?, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Summary | BPF press release
Date: 2008-Apr
Two linked reports examined progress in Scotland towards the target of giving all unintentionally homeless people the right to settled accommodation by 2012. There were areas of good progress: but some local authorities faced 'significant challenges'.
Source: Helping Homeless People: Homelessness Monitoring Group Report, Scottish Government, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Mike Nolan and Iain Mclean, Towards 2012: Homelessness Support Project, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | SG press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Mar
There were 79,500 households in England at the end of December 2007 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (down 11 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England 4th Quarter 2007, Department for Communities and Local Government (020 7944 3000)
Links: Report | Crisis press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Mar
A study examined the characteristics of homeless households and the causes of their homelessness. Families accepted as homeless were mainly young, headed by female lone parents, and workless. Adult respondents (usually the mothers) in these families seemed to be a relatively disadvantaged group with respect to their health and access to social support, and many had experienced domestic violence. However, only a minority appeared extremely vulnerable, and very few reported drug or alcohol problems. Children in these families were generally happy at home and at school and were reportedly in good health. Young people (aged 16-17) accepted as homeless were, in contrast, an extremely vulnerable group, who had often experienced educational and/or family disruption, violence at home, and mental health and/or substance misuse problems: a very high proportion were not in education, employment, or training.
Source: Nicholas Pleace, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Sarah Johnsen, Deborah Quilgars and Diana Sanderson, Statutory Homelessness in England: The experience of families and 16-17 year olds, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | CHP press release
Date: 2008-Mar
An article examined the evolution of homelessness policy and practice in Scotland since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. It critically examined the practicability of flagship Scottish government policy to widen the remit of the homelessness legislation – effectively an extension of citizenship rights. This was compared with the more 'consumerist' tilt of the New Labour housing policy in England.
Source: Hal Pawson and Emma Davidson, 'Radically divergent? Homelessness policy and practice in post-devolution Scotland', European Journal of Housing Policy, Volume 8 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Mar
The Law Lords said (in dismissing a case on technical grounds) that a local authority should have referred a homeless girl (aged 16), whose mother could not look after her, to its children's services department – rather than simply refer her to its housing department and put her up in a series of temporary hotels and hostels.
Source: R (On the Application of M) v London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Appellate Committee, UKHL 14 (Session 2007-08), House of Lords Judicial Office (020 7219 3111)
Links: Text of judgement | Howard League press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Feb
The Court of Appeal ruled that Birmingham city council's housing policy from January 2005 to January 2007 was unlawful, on the grounds that the council had the same duty to re-house tenants living in unsuitable council housing (the so-called 'homeless at home') as to those who were literally homeless.
Source: Birmingham City Council v Abdishakur Aweys and others, Court of Appeal 7 February 2008
Links: Text of judgement | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Feb
A report examined the overall extent of services for homeless people in England, including hostels, day centres, and supported accommodation. Most day centres said that the size of their building restricted the services they could deliver – for example, adaptations for disability, and interview rooms.
Source: Survey of Needs and Provision (SNAP): Services for homeless single people and couples in England, Homeless Link (020 7960 3010)
Links: Summary | CRASH press release
Date: 2008-Feb
